Rolling-mill



(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 1.

J. OSTR-ANDER.

ROLLING MILL. No. 253,754. Patented Feb. 14,1882.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet" 2.

J. OSTRANDBR.

ROLLING MILL.

No. 253,754 Patented Feb. 14,1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONATHAN OSTRANDER, OF WEST MIDDLESEX, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFTWO-THIRDS TO JOSEPH W. RUSSELL, OF SAME PLACE, AND PHILLIP M. HAAS, orYOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

ROLLING-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,754, dated February14, 1882. Application filed June 18, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JONATHAN OS'IRANDER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at West Middlesex, in thecounty of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Rolling Iron, of which the followingis aspecification.

The rolling-mill which I have improved is of the kind in which threerolls of tapering IO form are arranged in such relation to each other asto receive the article between them and feed it forward, compress it tothe required diameter, and deliver it from the small ends of the rolls.

I In my improved mill the rolls are arranged in triangular relation,their axial lines diverging from the same point, and form a centraltapering space. The rolls are arranged outside of their housing-bearingsto adapt them for longitudinal adjustment in relation to each other toproduce rods or tubes of different sizes. This relation of theroll-surfaces serves to give areducing, polishing, and finishing actionupon the article operated upon by the 2 roll-surfaces, to effect acertain and uniform feed of the article, and to produce a moresatisfactory surface finish of the article. In connection with theendwise adjustment of the rolls to produce rods or tubes of differentdi- 3o ameters, I provide interchangeable feeding and delivering tubes,whereby articles of different sizes are guided and firmly supportedunder the action of the rolls while being fed thereto and deliveredtherefrom. To resist 3 5 the tendency of the rolls to spring at theirfree or non-journaled ends and to allow of their adjustment in the linesof their axes, I provide an adjustable tri-armed standard withadjustable abutments adapted to support the rolls and allow of theirlongitudinal adjustment to increase or diminish the tapering spacebetween them. I combine with the mill a furnace for keeping the ironhot, and from which it is directly fed into the feeding-tube 5 of themill, the said furnace being provided with a heating-tube which forms acontinuation of the feeding-tube of the mill. This gives importantadvantages in rolling iron as it comes from the bar-producing mill, inthe matter of saving the expense and loss of time for reheating theiron, and especially for keeping the iron hot when reducing andpolishing long bars by the taper rolls.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a view inperspective of a rolling-mill embracing myimprovements Fig. 2, avertical longitudinal section of the same, a bar of iron being shown ashaving been delivered to the mill direct from the heating-furnace andpassing through thereducing and polishing rolls. Fig. 3 shows anelevation of the adjustable triangular-armed standard for supporting thetapering rolls at the ends from which the bar emerges. Fig. 4 shows thetriangular relation of the rolls, showing the ,taper of the centralspace through which the rod is fed, reduced, and polished by therevolution of the rolls. Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal section of one ofthe interchangeable feeding-tubes, and Fig. 6 shows a cross-section ofthe rolls and their housing on the line a: x of Fig. 2.

To enable those skilled in the art to which 'my invention relates toconstruct and use the same, I will particularly describe theconstruction and operation of my improved rolling-mill in connectionwith the drawings representing such construction.

The reducing and polishing rolls a are of tapering form, and arearranged so that their planes parallel with the axial lines of therolls,

whereby, in the longitudinal adjustment of the rolls to increase ordiminish the space between their surfaces, such adjustment will 5maintain the taper relation of such roll-surfaces. The seats for thebedsc are thus formed upon a support which gives a firm and solidbearing for the rolls. The rolls are carried outside of the housing orbase with their largroo joint action of the tapering rolls.

est ends adjacent to the seats 0, and the bar or tube is fed to andbetween the rolls through a horizontal central revolving tube, B, fittedin said base in line with the passage formed by the triangular relationof the rolls. By this construction the feeding-tube B for the articleoperated upon must always maintain the same central relation with theseats 0, and necessarily the roll-surfaces must always work in the samerelation to said tube. This feeding-tube B is fitted in the housing orbase so as to be freely revolved therein, and is confined in positionlongitudinally by collars c c. The inner or delivering end of this tubemay be flush with the housing, so as not to interfere with thelongitudinal adjustment of'the rolls but its outer or receiving end mustproject a suitable distance to receive a pulley, f, or gear, by whichsaid feeding-tube is operated by any suitable motor. This revolvingfeeding-tube is made the means of operating the reducing and polishingrolls through spur-gears g on the ends of the roll-shafts meshing with asimilar gear on the projecting end of said feedingtube. The rotation ofthis tube is in a direction oppositeto that of the rolls, which arerevolved together in the same direction, and which effects thereby therevolution of the article operated upon in the same direction as that inwhich the feeding-tube is revolved. While therefore the rolls areoperated directly from the tube through which the article being treatedis fed, the said tube is caused to revolve in the same direction inwhich the article is turned by the rolls, and thereby to cooperate notonly in supporting and guiding the article in its passage to and throughsaid rolls; but in reducing the friction of the article as it is drawnthrough the tube by the It will be understood that the taper form oftherolls, their relation to each other, and their revolution in the samedirection effect the compound motion of the article-that is, a drawingmovement through the central passage formed by the rolls and a rotarymovement in the opposite direction to that of the rollsso that all theparts revolve together in the operation of reducing the bar or tube andsimultaneously polishing its surface. The arrangement of the rollsoutside of the housings is important in allowing of their eudwiseadjustment, and as a long feeding-tube is thereby obtained, whichsupports the bar against vibration and holds it firmly under the actionof the rolls.

The rotary feeding-tube which I have described is a permanent part ofthe mill, and

port articles of different diameters and to suit the adjustment of therolls to properly reduce such articles.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the taper form of the space between the threerolls through which the bar is fed in being reduced, and in Fig. 2 Ihave shown in center section only the relation of the-axial line of oneof the rolls to the axial line of the bar being reduced. The axial linesof the other two rolls, however, have the same relation to the axialline of the bar. Beferring now to the feed of the bar by the action ofthe rolls, I find that the speed of such feed is in proportion to thereduction of the bar-that is, a bar to be reduced, say, onehalf itsdiameter will be fed through the rolls faster than a bar being reducedless than half its diameter. Should there be no reduction of the bar,there would be no griping action of therolls tending to draw the bar inbetween them. The arrangement of the rolls so as to obtain a uniformaction of their surfaces gives a better polished surface to the articleand prevents unequal wear of the surfaces of the rolls.

A standard, 0, is secured to the bed-plateD in front of the small endsof the rolls by means of screws h, passing through slots i in the baseof said standard, by which it is made adjustable. This standard has anopening in line with the central opening formed by the rolls, and withinwhich a tube,j, is fitted to receive and support the finished article asit is delivered from the rolls. This tube is made interchangeable forlarger or smaller articles, so as to give proper support and steadinessas they are delivered from the rolls. This standard is formed with threearms, k, Fig. 3, corresponding to the positions of the rolls, and eacharm is provided with an adjustable abutment, l, adapted to bear upon theouter side of hubs or shoulders m, formed upon the small ends of therolls, and thereby resist their tendency to spring under their reducingaction. The abutments are provided with slots n, by which they areadjusted radially to suit the adjustment of the rolls, and when set theyare secured by screws 11/, which serve to both clamp and set theabutments. As stated, the rolls are adjusted in the line of their axesto increase or diminish the working-space between them, and thisadjustmentis effected by setting their shaft-bearing beds lengthwiseupon their housing-seats, the said bearing-beds for this purpose beingprovided with slots r, and clamped when set by screws 8 passing throughsaid slots into said fixed seats. This method of adjusting the rollspreserves the regular taper relation of their working-surfaces, and as aconsequence of such relation I obtain the full eifect of the reducingand polishing action of the roll-surfaces and a certain and regular feedof the article by the action of the rolls. In this adjustment of therolls they are set nearer to or farther from the end of the hous ing inlines diverging equally from the central feeding-tube, and to maintainthe proper bearing of the abutments upon the roll-hubs the tri-armedstandard must be correspondingly adjusted. The rolls are of proper size,and preferably of polished steel. The roll-shafts may have intermediatebearings,if desired.

In rolling and rounding bars to reduce, polish, and finish them, suchoperation is usually continuous with the operation of the bar-producingmill, but is necessarily much slower than the latter operation, and theiron would become cooled as it is produced from the barmill and wouldrequire reheating beforeit could be passed through the forming andfinishing mill. To avoid such reheating operation and the expense anddelay attending it, I combine a heating-furnace with the mill. Thefurnace is provided with a heating-tube, t, which is in line with thefeeding tube B of the mill, and is placed in such close proximity to thereceiving end of said feeding-tube that the article can be pushed outfrom the heating-tubet directly into the mill feeding-tube B, throughwhich it is pushed until its end enters the rolls, when the latteroperate to feed it forward.- The furnace is providedwith an oven, to,within which to keep the bars hot while waiting to be operated upon. Theheating-tube and the oven are provided with end doors for retaining theheat. This furnace is also advantageous in keeping long bars at theproper heat, as the rear end would become cooled before the operation ofrolling was finished. The mill, however, is adapted for rolliu g,polishing, and finishing metal rods, gun-barrels, and tubes, whether ina cold or heated state, and for short bars the furnace need not be used.v

As the operation of reducing tubes is well understood in the art, it isunnecessary to describesuch operation herein.

To permit of the removal of the feeding-tube audits replacement byanother larger or smaller in its interior diameter, the bed-platemay beadapted to be turned in the manner of a turntable to bring the receivingend of the feedingtube to one side of the furnace when the latter isused as a co-operat-ing means for heating and feeding the article to berolled.

I claim.

1. As an improvement in mills for rolling metal articles oi cylindricalform, the tapering rolls a, arranged with their axial lines divergingfrom the same point, forming a tapering space between their contiguoussurfaces equal to thelength ot' the rolls and in axial line with afeeding-tube, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In a rolling-mill for metal articles of a cylindrical form, thetapering rolls a, arranged with their axial lines diverging from thesame point, forming a tapering space between their contiguous surfacesequal to the length of the rolls and in axial line with thefeeding-tube, in combination with means whereby said rolls are adjustedin the line of their axes to increase or diminish the tapering space,substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The rolls of a rolling-mill for metal articles of cylindrical form,arranged with their axial lines diverging from the same point, forming atapering space between their contiguous surfaces equal to the length ofthe rolls and in axial line with the feedin g-tnbe, in combination withthe roll-bearing beds 0 and the housing A, to which said beds areadapted for adjustment with the rolls, substantially as described, forthe purpose specified.

4. The rolls of a rolling-mill for metal articles of cylindrical form,arranged outside of their housing bearings or supports, with their axiallines diverging from the samepoint,forming a tapering space betweentheir contiguous surfaces equal to the length of the rolls,incombination with a feeding-tube arranged within said housing,substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

5. The rolls of a rolling-mill constructed and arranged for adjustmentand operation with a feeding-tube substantially as herein described, incombination with a triarmed adjustable standard provided with adjustableabutments for supporting the non-journaled ends of the rolls, and with adelivering and supporting tube for the finished article, substantiallyas described, for the purpose specified.

6. In a mill for rolling metal articles of cylindrical form, thecombination, with rolls arranged for adjustment and operationsubstantially as described, of a permanent tube and interchangeablefeeding and delivering tubes having difi'erent interior diameters,adapted to suit different sizes of articles to be rolled, substantiallyas described.

7. The combination,iu a millfor rolling metallicarticles of cylindricalform, with the rolls arranged for adjustment and operation in relationto each other, and a feedin g-tube arranged in central relation to saidrolls, of a furnace having a heating-tube arranged in the relation tosaid feeding mill-tube substantially as described, for the purposespecified. 8. A mill for rolling metal articles of cylindrical form,consisting of rolls arranged with their axial lines diverging from thesame point, forming a tapering space between their contiguous surfacesand adapted for adjustment in the line of their axes, a feeding-tubecarried by the roll-housings, and a delivering-tube carried by anadjustable standard having adjustable abutments for supporting the non-journaled ends of said rolls, substantially as described, forthepurpose specified.

In testimony whereofi have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN H-. ELLIOTT, J. W. HAMILTON JOHNSON.

